In the streets the children screamed, the lovers cried and the poets dreamed

I love everything about this picture Geoff took of me this last Valentine's Day. I realize that's a pretty narcissistic statement, but the way he sees me does melt me sometimes. It's not so much the way he sees me physically, but that he sees me -- he imparts quality to my existence. Sounds weird, I know -- true nevertheless. Anyway, that leather coat is so ancient and is so incredibly soft -- it used to belong to my mom.

For someone who's been a vegetarian from a tender young age on, I do tend to wear an embarrassing amount of leather, huh? My Hindu and Buddhist friends are quite disapproving and one of them is on a quest to try to convert me to what he refers to as "veg-purses" and "veg-shoes".

Speaking of Valentine's Day, Geoff got me Slumdog Millionaire on DVD to temporarily de-symptomize my longing for India, plus a long overdue and badly needed new charger for my iPhone. I am a happy camper. I'd like to think that I am a pretty low maintenance Valentine, since I am not a fan of diamonds and high-end jewelry. {I might joke around about veg-shoes and veg-belts but my third world experiences have definitely disabused me of buying anything child-labor related, such as diamonds.}

Well, be that as it may, it's been a long day for me and I am exhausted to the point of questionable intellectual capacity. The only recognizable thought left in my head is structured around the concept of bundling up on the couch with a cup of hot vanilla chai and Slumdog Millionaire, then hitting the hay.

LOL on the leather jacket thing. It belonged to your mom, right? Now u did not specifically kill a cow to obtain it, neither did u purchase it. Now if u were to give it up, it would not exactly turn back into a cow! :D

What are your views on Slumdog? It was good, but I thought it was highly overrated! :D AR Rahman has made better music. I did not understand the hype.

Agnes, I have been wondering (and I don't know any other way of asking), Do you work some place now? I mean what is your profession. In my mind you are a freelance writer ( I am not sure if I read a post that made me believe that!)

Dharavi, Mumbai - Lots-n-Lots of leather colorful jackets displayed within leather shops.
One day will buy for sure And the one you wearing is excellent - no doubt.
Sorry as I am unable to visit post/s as I am on-tour. But will sure visit again & again whenever I find time.

@Bins: True, that coat was my mom's, now who do I get to blame for my other half a dozen leather jackets? Non-veg shoes? Non-veg bags?

No seriously, I admire people who are "veg" all the way. I wanna go on the record for saying that I am against the pointless killing of animals, but in all fairness, there's a difference between killing for vanity alone, and living in harmony with nature and doing what you have to to survive. As much as the image of a filthy rich woman flaunting a different fur coat every day is a total turn-off for me, I really have no problem whatsoever with the folks at the North Pole wearing fur to protect themselves from the elements.

That being said and having successfully gotten that touchy subject out of the way, I was quite enchanted by Slumdog Millionaire, thank you for asking. I get a kick out of the host's pronunciation of the word "millionaire". Who wants to be a Millner? Also, I was fascinated by the little things such as the host addressing the computer as "computer-ji"... like Ghandi-ji, Swami-ji, Dalai Lama-ji -- I guess The Computer has risen to angelic heights :-) The lighting and cinematography were captivating beyond words, especially of the slums, the construction sites, the streets, the women in colorful clothes doing laundry... I think if you're able to tune out some obvious flaws, such a the 20-mill Rupee question asking for the name of the third musketeer, something every 5-year old knows, then you're in for a good time. If you're expecting a movie in the ranks of Gandhi, you'll be disappointed.

To answer your last question, (you asked me a lot of questions, girl, didn't you?), I am not doing much for work these days. Our lives revolve around Geoff's treatment and getting him through this. Once Geoff is well again, I want to set up my own non-profit and work on some projects in Asia that are close to my heart. So that's the plan. And this comment is longer than my average post. Oh well.

Hi Agnes;
Lovely sentiments about "seeing". Thanks. We took this photo mid-afternoon on a blustery day. Cold and beautiful. I really liked it. I can see why Slumdog was so controversial in India. But there isn't anything I can think of that wouldn't be controversial in India. True Democracy at work. I was just relieved that the director finally resisted his tendency to pull the audience down into the lower emotional depths (like Trainspotting). A happy ending is a rare joy. Here's to many more happy endings.
Love
Geoff

I grumbled at my boyfriend for never bothering to acknowledge Valentine's and he said he didn't know it was important to me and I said it would be nice, sometimes, to be treated as a lover rather than a roommate and about 3 minutes later the doorbell went and the roses he had ordered were delivered.

It is a good photo. Interesting, isn't it - how we judge our own image, versus the way other people see us.

In terms of wearing leather, I tend to follow the line of thought that the animal was bred for man, so it's better to use it as a resource in death rather than waste it. I guess this is edging towards the Native American view - where you waste nothing.

It's a wonderful thing to have someone see you like that, who you truly are, the beauty beyond leather jackets and jewellery. I can feel this photo and the sea breeze and the contrast between a chaotic, colorful India and your tranquil Florida home. Isn't that the beauty of life? How you can stand on a shore line gazing out on the horizon, knowing that it's all out there, and inside of you too.

I actually haven't seen Slumdog Millionaire yet! But I just got it and might watch it tonight. I'll let you know what I think! :)

Hi Agnes, I was on my way to new York. I'm in HCMC Vietnam now. Just got here yesterday. (lots of children are screaming in the streets here as well.). I hope you are feeling a little bit better. Best wishes. Ltn